The extra steps—making chicken stock and the grattini pasta—pay off in flavour and texture. A wonderful Good Friday project.
“A soup of rich chicken broth, Parmigiano Reggiano and nutmeg brings my sensory memory directly to Easter.” –Daniel Costa, Corso 32 Group
Chicken Broth
Make a day ahead or morning of.
| 2 | chicken carcasses |
| 1 T | olive oil |
| 1 | carrot, peeled and halved |
| 2 stalks | celery, halved |
| 1 | yellow onion, halved |
| 1 sprig | rosemary |
| 1 sprig | sage |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 1 t | peppercorns |
| 2 rinds | Parmigiano |
| 12 c | cold water |
| 1 t | salt |
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Roast the chicken carcasses on a baking sheet or oven proof pan until deep golden brown. While the chicken is roasting, heat the olive oil in a deep pot over high heat. Add the vegetables and herbs. Fry until the carrots are golden. Add the water, roasted chicken carcass and remaining ingredients. Simmer gently for 3 hours. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve, discard the solids. Allow the broth to cool slightly and remove the fat from the top of the broth.
For the Grattini Pasta
| 200 g | semolina |
| ¼ t | kosher salt |
| 8 grates | nutmeg |
| zest from ¼ lemon | |
| 3 T | grated Parmigiano Reggiano |
| 2 | eggs |
| 1 T | water |
Place the semolina, Parmigiano, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg in a food processor. Turn on, add one egg at a time followed by the water. The mixture should resemble coarse couscous. Add a little more semolina if the mixture is too wet, or water if it is too dry. Dump the mixture out onto a kitchen cloth and allow to dry for 1 hour.
For finishing
| fresh lemon juice | |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | |
| black pepper | |
| nutmeg |
Bring 4-6 cups of the broth to a simmer. Add the grattini and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Season the soup to taste with salt and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon into warmed bowls, top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, black pepper and a few grates of nutmeg.
Serves 2.